DNA technicians work in a variety of settings, including police departments, forensic laboratories, and prisons. Their basic job is to collect and analyze samples of DNA. This information is then added to state or national databases, or used in the investigation of crimes and prosecution of criminal suspects. The Bureau of Labor Statistics classifies DNA technicians as forensic science technicians.

DNA technicians work in a variety of settings, including police departments, forensic laboratories, and prisons. Their basic job is to collect and analyze samples of DNA. This information is then added to state or national databases, or used in the investigation of crimes and prosecution of criminal suspects. The Bureau of Labor Statistics classifies DNA technicians as forensic science technicians.

Required Preparation

The required education for a DNA technician depends somewhat on where they will be employed and on their primary job description. In some cases, DNA technicians may be responsible only for collecting DNA samples and not for manipulating or analyzing them. In this case, they may only need a high school diploma. However, DNA technicians responsible for analyzing samples, and those who work at state or federal crime laboratories, are usually required to hold a bachelor's degree in biology or a closely related field.

Job Description

Some DNA technicians are responsible for securing DNA samples from inmates and criminal suspects. The most common way of taking DNA samples from willing participants is to swab the inside of a person's cheek. However, DNA can also be isolated from blood and other body fluids found at crime scenes. DNA technicians tasked with analyzing samples use a process known as gel electrophoresis to isolate and map strands of DNA, and then check them against DNA samples in criminal databases to determine whether or not a suspect was present at a crime scene.

Pay Information

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, forensic science technicians made an average of $26.79 an hour and $55,730 a year in 2012. Half of all forensic science technicians reported a range of annual salaries from $40,470 to $68,290. Those employed by the federal government, however, reported significantly higher salaries than most other forensic science techs, averaging $94,800 per year.

Job Outlook

According to the BLS, the number of jobs for forensic science technicians is expected to grow at a rate of 19 percent between 2010 and 2020. As DNA technology improves and is increasingly used to identify criminal suspects and secure convictions, many of these jobs will be for DNA technicians and analysts.

2016 Salary Information for Forensic Science Technicians

Forensic science technicians earned a median annual salary of $56,750 in 2016, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. On the low end, forensic science technicians earned a 25th percentile salary of $42,710, meaning 75 percent earned more than this amount. The 75th percentile salary is $74,220, meaning 25 percent earn more. In 2016, 15,400 people were employed in the U.S. as forensic science technicians.